July 10th, 1982 (Saturday)

It was a weekend that Robert wasn't on call and Regina didn't have any projects to work on, so they decided to go to the farm and return only on Sunday.

Once they knew about it, Rosie couldn't hold herself of contentment and started to cook everything they liked, specially Andrea.

They arrived very early on Saturday so they could enjoy their stay. Robert, Regina, Eddy, Louise, Andrea, the cousins Gregory and Alice and little Ollie spent the entire morning riding horses around the farm.

They stop at a river with a small waterfall and the kids swam with their clothes on. Regina felt happy to see Andrea in contact with nature.

After lunch, they all went to the front porch to relax on the armchair or take a nap on the hammock.

Rosie called Robert for a talk. They walked towards the orchard.

─ Hon, I'm sorry from taking you away from Regina, but I'm very worried.

─ What happened, mom? I'm here to help you in whatever is possible. Are you feeling something?

─ Yes, hon. I've been feeling a lot of anguish. I see you, Gill and Eddy, my sons, all with their right minds, hard workers, starting their families with good women and I don't know what to do with my only daughter. She was never there for me, always in this bad mood, away from everybody, doesn't do anything with her life, isn't interested in anything. I'm old and I know I have more past than future. I've been thinking what's gonna be of Rosalee when I'm gone. She can't even fry an egg. She doesn't leave her room and doesn't let anybody come in there. That can't be normal, right hon? You're a doctor and you may know if she needs treatment.

Robert hugged his mother tenderly. He promised to watch Rosalee closely this weekend.

─ Mom, did you talk about this with Gill or Eddy?

─ No hon. I only talked to you, but Eddy, Gill and Marlene have also noticed her behavior. Even Andrea, a kid, has noticed.

─ Andrea is a way more perceptive than a lot of us. She has a connection with angels.

─ Yes, hon. She's a very special child. Well, I don't wanna take too much of your time. Go back to your beautiful wife. She's even prettier after you two got married.

Robert smiled and returned to the house along his mother. He left her in the kitchen and decided to go to Rosalee's room. The door was locked. He knocked and called her but had no answer. He decided to go around the house and look through the window, but found it locked and there was no way he could see anything inside the room. He gave up and went back to the front porch.

The darkness of the night came early and, soon after dinner, everybody went to bed. The farmhouse had always been through remodels to bring more comfort to the residents. Every room was a suite with great bathroom.

Walter and Sonia were in the guest bedroom, Edward and Louise in his room.

Robert, Regina and Andrea in Bert's old room. The bed was large, and it could fit the three of them. Andrea had already fallen asleep deeply in Robert's arms when they tucked her in.

Regina and Robert decided to take a shower and were naked and hugging each other when they heard Andrea scream. He wrapped himself quickly in a towel and ran to the room.

─ What's the matter honey, did you have a nightmare?

─ No, a bug bit me.

─ A bug? But there are no bugs in here.

Regina came and turned on the lamp.

─ Where did he bite you honey? Mommy will give it a kiss.

Andrea showed her leg with a red bump. Robert noticed that ticks were crawling up her leg. He took her out of bed and put her in the shower. Rubbed her body with soap and a hard sponge.

He noticed other red spots along her body and neck.

─ Regina, get dressed. We need to take Andrea to the hospital. She's allergic to tick bites.

They left the house running with Andrea on their arms and passed by Edward's room to warn him.

Eddy put on some pants and a t-shirt and ran after his brother. Robert was putting Andrea on the car, when Eddy opened the front door.

─ You go on the back with Regina, in case the girl needs something. Let me drive.

He drove very fast on the road until they arrived at Anapolis Hospital.

Everyone in town knew the Toledo family. Robert entered the ER with the girl on his arms explaining what had happened to a colleague.

They gave her an antiallergic and an antibiotic as a precaution and did a detailed search on her body, to see if they could find another tick hiding. Andrea spend the night hospitalized, just in case. At dawn, Edward returned to the farm to let everyone know what had happened.

Walter and Sonia after hearing everything that had happened, immediately left to meet Regina. Edward told his mother and his brother what had happened, and they were both shocked.

They went to Robert's room and saw that there were indeed many ticks in his bed and even on the floor and walls. No one understood how such an infestation could have happened in a place that is always being constantly cleaned and why that had only happened in Robert's room.

Rosie sneakily left the room and let her sons talking. She went to her bedroom's oratory, kneeled on and asked the divine help for Andrea. She also prayed for the mystery to be solved and to her suspicions be fake.

Sunday morning, Andrea was already ok and out of danger. Her clothes were taken to incineration and the hospital gave her a sheet so she could go home.

As soon as morning came, Edward, Gill and some helpers had already taken the bed, mattress and sheets out of Robert's room and realized that there were also ticks on the backpacks with the clothes they had brought. Everything was taken to a clearing and incinerated. On the floor and on the walls, they spread some kerosene and the room was put on quarantine.

When Andrea came back to the farm, Marlene lend her some of Alice's clothes.

Robert heard their brother's story about the mysterious infestation and asked them to follow him to Rosalee's room who still hadn't been seen by anyone.

They knocked on the door and called her, unsuccessfully.

Gill went to the car shop and came back with a bag. He broke the lock.

When they opened the door, the room was dark and had a hideous smell. They turned on the light and found Rosalee sitting on the floor, curved into a ball, her hair all a mess, covered in urine and feces. In the mirror there were many pictures of Regina with holes in the place of her eyes and swear-words written in pen. On top of the dressing table, there were jars filled with spiders and ticks.

Rosalee screamed all the time for them to get out of the room and kept throwing things at them. The scene was so depressing and disgusting that Robert felt nauseous.

─ Hold her and don't let her get away. I'll grab my suitcase.

Before going to the car, Robert went to the stable and asked for a horse tranquilizer.

With the shot and his suitcase, he returned to his sister's bedroom.

He prepared the shot for her with a small dose of tranquilizer and asked for his brothers to lay her on the bed.

Rosalee screamed and kicked, but Robert managed to apply her the shot. They kept her safe until the medicine was effective.

Then, they took her to the bathroom and gave her a shower. After dressing her, Robert grabbed some clean sheets and immobilized her. The shot wouldn't keep her quiet for too long. They also tied her feet and carried her to Rosie's room. The brother took a shower and Gill lent Robert some clothes.

Regina hadn't been bitten, because with all that was going on, she put the same clothes that she wore during the day.

Robert told his father-in-law what had happened. He said his sister would have to be checked in on a clinic. He asked for help to contact the clinic attached to the hospital and get her an emergency spot. He would also need a psychiatrist's report to check her in. Robert collected all the pictures and evidences from Rosalee's room to give to the doctor.

Rosie cried quietly, stroking her daughter's hair. Robert hugged his mother tightly he didn't want to see her cry.

─ Mom, she will be ok. Thank God we discovered in time to help her. You can visit her on the clinic.

Rosie looked at her son and agreed nodding with her head.

Walter arranged everything and took care of all the documents and the psychiatrist was waiting for Rosalee at the clinic in Goiania. Robert called Eddy and Gill to join him in the car that would take his sister. Eddy drove, while the other two held her in the backseat to restrain her when she woke up.

Walter returned to the city with Sonia, Regina, Andrea and Louise.

Rosalee arrived at the clinic screaming and it didn't take much time for the doctor to conclude she was in a mental breakdown.

Robert gave him the things he had collected from his sister's room. Her case would need a long hospitalization.

The brothers left the clinic and thought about what they would do. They decided to drop off Robert at his house and returned to the farm. Edward would have to return to Goiania on the next day.

Robert arrived home exhausted and went straight to check on Andrea. She opened a big smile and all his exhaustion disappeared. Regina hugged him kindly and stuck to them for a few minutes, trying to give him some comfort.

Sonia called him for a snack, and he accepted it. He hadn't eaten anything since dinner last night. After, took a shower and threw himself in bed. Regina watched him sleep with a sad heart. Her mind didn't trust her sister-in-law anymore.

They would need to be watchful all the time.